Support bracket



p 1960 T. P. GANNCN ET AL 2,954,200

SUPPORT BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed. April 15, 1957 INVENTORS GANNONMILLER IIO THOMAS P ARTHUR R y THOMAS WILLIAM CROOK Sept. 27, 1960 FiledApril 15, 1957 T. P. GANNON ETAL SUPPORT BRACKET 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN VEN TORS THOMAS P. GANNON ARTHUR R. MILLER BY THOMAS WILLIAM CROOKPatented Sept. 27, 1960 nice SUPPORT BRACKET Thomas P. Gannon, 135 W.39th St., Erie, Pa.; Arthur R. Miller, 1020 Rice Ave., Girard, Pa.; andThomas William Crook, R.F.D. 1, Cambridge Springs, Pa.

Filed Apr. 15, 1957, Ser. No. 653,004

7 Claims. (Cl. 248-228) This invention relates to supports and, moreparticularly, to supports for suspending pipes, ducts, and otherfixtures and the like from I-beams, channels, pipes, and other types ofbeams.

Up until the present time, no simple, efficient, and completelysatisfactory support has been provided for suspending various fixturesfrom beams. Many such supports are diflicult and time consuming toinstall. Others are not positive in operation.

It is, accordingly, an object of this invention to overcome thedisadvantages in prior supports and, more particularly, it is an objectto provide a support which is simple in construction, economical tomanufacture, and simple and efficient to use.

Another object of this invention is to provide a support which caneasily be installed and readily released.

A further object of the invention is to provide an improved support forsuspending objects from beams and the like. 7

With the above and other objects in view, the present invention consistsof the combination and arrangement of parts hereinafter more fullydescribed, illustrated in the accompanying drawings and moreparticularly pointed out in the appended claims, it being understoodthat changes may be made in the form, size, proportions, and minordetails of construction without departing from the spirit or sacrificingany of the advantages of the invention.

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is an end view of a supporting device according to the invention;

Fig. 2 is, a side view of the device shown in Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is an end view of another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 4 is a side view of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig.3;

Fig. 5 is a view of another embodiment of the invention showing thereleasing rod in released position;

Fig. 6 is a view of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 5showing the releasing rod in another stage of the attaching operation;

Fig. 7 is a view of the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 6showing the releasing rod in completed clamped relation;

Fig. 8 is another embodiment of the invention;

Fig. 9 is still another embodiment of the invention; and

Fig. 10 is another embodiment of the invention.

Now with more specific reference to the drawings, Figs. 1 and 2 show anI-beam 10 which has flanges 11 and 12. The Lbeam 10 is of the standardtype and is shown for purposes of illustration only and constitutes nopart of the invention.

A clamp 14 is made up of two interchangeable bracket members 15 and 16.Each bracket 15 and 16 has a straight portion 17 bent outwardly at 18 toform an outwardly extending portion 19 and then bent back on itself at20 to form an overlying portion 21 spaced from the outwardly extendingportion 19 and overlying the flanges 11 and 12 of the I-beam 10. A hole22 is formed in each bracket 15 and 1-6 and a support rod 23 has a hook24 forming the upper end thereof. The hook 24 is made by bending the rod23 back on itself with a distal end 25 spaced from a main body portion26 a distance approximately equal to the thickness of the two straightportions 17. The hook 24 is bent inwardly at 27 at the tip thereof toform the hook portions of the rod 23 to engage the two straight portions17 on opposite sides.

For purposes of illustration, a nut 28 is shown thread ably engaging thesupport rod 23 at 29; however, any other type of fastening means couldbe used to suit the particular application.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 3

. and 4, a support for use with a channel is shown with a channel 110having flanges 1-11 and 112 with a clamp 114 similar to the supportshown in Fig. l but adapted for use with the channel 110. The clamp 114has a bracket member 115 similar to the bracket members 15 and 16 shownin Figs. 1 and 2. An end 119 of the bracket member 115 is bent back onitself at 120 to form an overlying portion 121. A left hand bracket 130,however, is extended straight up from a hole 122 to lie along a web 131of the channel 110 and is bent inward-1y at a right angle at 132 to forma leg 133 which overlies the flange 111. A support rod 123 is identicalto the support rod 23 in Fig. land operates in a similar manner.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Figs. 5, *6, and 7,a'support clamp 214 is shown which is similar in operating principle tothat shown in Figs. 1 and 2;

' however, brackets 215 are especially adapted for use with a pipe orround beam. The brackets 215 each have a straight portion 217 with asupport rod 223 which operates in a hole 222. Therod 223 is bent back onitself and terminates at a distal end 224. The straight portions 217 arebent outwardly to form outwardly extending portions 219 and bent aroundto form overlying portions 221 to overlie a pipe or round beam.

The embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 8 is similar to that shownin Figs. 5, 6, and 7; however, the upper end of overlying portions 321have interengaging hook members 340 and'341 formed thereon to lock abracket 315 above a round beam. A hook member 323 engages a hole in astraight portion 314 of the bracket 315. To release the support shown inFig. 8, the member 323 is rotated in the manner shown in Fig. 6 for thatembodiment to a position show in Fig. 5. Then upon release, the bracketmembers 315 can be separated. The hook members 3 40 and 341 are formedby removing the material from the ends of each of the overlying members321 to form an interfitting dovetail type connection.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 9, a bracket 415 isshown similar to that shown in Fig. 8; however, the ends of legs 421 arebent back on themselves, one inwardly at 450 and one outwardly at 451 toform two mating hooks 452 and 453. The ends of the hooks 452 and 453interlock with each other and therefore form a locking portion to lockthe ends together. A support rod 433 engages .a hole in a straightportion 414 of the bracket 415.

In the embodiment of the invention shown in Fig. 10, a support 515 isshown similar to that in Figs. 8 and 9; however, the ends of legs 521are notched at 556 and 557, respectively, to interfit and a lug 558 isattached to the legs 521 and conforms in area thereto. A lug 560 isattached to the end of the left leg 521, the lug 560 extend ingoutwardly and lying behind the lug 558, thereby forming a locking joint.The support 515 has a straight portion 514 with a hole therein whichreceives a hook portion 523.

It will be noted in all embodiments of the invention that the hole 22must be set toone side of the bracket so that the distance from an outeredge 540 of the hole 22 to the edge of the leg adjacent thereto isslightlyless than the distance of the end 25 and the body portion 26 ofthe hook 24. so that the hook 24 can. be swung around for releasing asshown in Figs. 5, 6, and 7. The end of the hook 24, must be turned inslightly at 27 in order to hold the two bracket portions 15 and 16snugly together.

The foregoing specification sets forth the invention in its preferredpractical forms but the structure shown is capable of modificationwithin a range of equivalents Without departing from the invention whichis to be understood is broadly novel as is commensurate with theappended claims.

The embodiments of the invention in which an exclusive property orprivilege is claimed are defined as follows:

1. A support comprising two bracket members made of flat material eachhaving a straight flat portion and adapted to lie in approximate side byside relationship, the ends of said bracket members being bent away fromeach other and then bent toward each other to form overlying portionsadapted to overlie a beam, a hole through said bracket members, asupport rod, said support rodv being bent back on itself to form astraight body portion and a hook portion, said rod hook portion beingparallel to and spaced from said body portion, said hook portion havingits distal end spaced from said body portion a distance substantiallyequal to the distance of one edge of said hole from one side of saidbracket members, said spacing of said hook portion from said bodyportion also being equal to the sum of the thickness of said two bracketmembers, and means on said hook portion to attach a member to besupported.

2. The support recited in claim 1 wherein saidends are bent outwardly atsubstantially right angles and then bent back on themselves to overlie aflange on an I-beam.

3. The support recited in claim 1 wherein one said bracket member isbent outwardly at substantially right angles and then bent back onitself to overlie the flower flange of a channel, the other said bracketmember extending upwardly and then bent toward said first bracket memberto overlie the upper flange of a channel.

4. The support recited in claim 1 wherein said ends are bent outwardlysubstantially at right angles and then curved upwardly and toward eachother in complementary shape to a round beam and overlying a round beammember.

5. The support recited in claim 4 wherein the ends of said bracketmembers have notches cut therefrom forming hooks, said hooks havingmeans thereon to interfit with each other to form an interlockingsupport for said bracket members.

6. The support recited in claim 4 wherein said ends of said bracketmembers are bent back on themselves, one upwardly and one downwardly attheir upper ends to form hooks, said hooks interengaging each other tohold the ends of said bracket members together.

7. The support recited in claim 4 wherein the ends of said bracketmembers are notched and a lug is attached to the top of the end of eachsaid bracket member, one said lug extending outwardly to lie along theedge of said other lug on the other bracket memberthereby forminginterlocking fastening means for the ends of said bracket members,holding them together.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS430,623 Clark June 24, 1890 684,255 Hughes Oct. 8, 1901 982,965 JohnsonJan. 31, 1911 1,330,355 Sp'ery Feb. 10, 1920 1,639,635 Seyfert Aug. 16,1927 1,802,046 Bower Apr. 21, 1931, 1,805,006 Neilon May 12, 19311,819,754 Mott Aug. 18, 1931 1,912,920 Saunders June 6, 1933 2,699,587Elsner Jan, 18, 1955 FOREIGN PATENTS 277,800 Germany Sept. 8, 1914

